


Angel Eyes

by tricodeku



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Anxiety, Childhood Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Festivals, Fluff, James is a giant nerd, Lots of cryng actually, M/M, Minor Bullying, Not Actually Unrequited Love, one-sided james/kinkade, past keith/matt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:35:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23701669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tricodeku/pseuds/tricodeku
Summary: In which James can't help but fall in love with his nemesis but also ex-childhood friend Keith.
Relationships: James Griffin/Keith (Voltron)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 55





	Angel Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> _~Don't look too deep into those angel eyes~_
> 
> Thank you for checking out my fic!! I enjoyed writing it soooo yeah I hope you enjoy it too!
> 
> fic notes:  
> Matt is pretty ooc in this fic so If you like him...he's not very nice in this story, sorry Matt!

James was having the perfect day. He had gotten to school on time, had a healthy and nutritious breakfast, and had written down everything in his planner for what he needed for the day. After every student got back into their studying and gruesome schedules after the break, he also wanted to keep his grades in tip top shape. Falling behind was a no no in James' school life, so it was essential he came to class prepared. 

And it would have gone all smooth sailing, were it not for a certain mop of dark hair, sitting where Nadia usually sat next to him.

James wouldn't have been against sitting with anyone else–he was generally liked, and he liked mostly everybody. But it was just his luck that the only person who had ever punched him was the one that he had to sit with. Keith.

Keith, who had been the bane of his existence since middle school. Keith, who never took notes and instead doodled who knows what inside his notebooks during class. Keith, who hated his guts and shot him an icy glare as he sat down.

James was not a fan.

He put down his belongings on the table, careful to not accidentally touch the boy next to him. Keith quickly hissed out that the teacher had placed him there, when he let out an annoyed huff.

James wasn't surprised. He'd quickly come to learn that whenever teachers found out they'd gone to the same elementary and middle school, they would suddenly become partners in group projects, or thrown together if Keith was acting out in class. They believed they were childhood friends, which was quite the opposite of what their rocky relationship actually was.

James opened his notebook to get ready to work, and he tried his best to tune out Keith, who nibbled on the string of his hoodie, making no effort to take notes. At least he'd be a quieter partner than Nadia, he supposed. At this early in the morning, her loud chatter always managed to wake James up.

Class went by surprisingly quickly, and it wasn't long before James was heading to his student council meeting at the end of the day. Yesterday it was chess club, and tomorrow he had a science one. Juggling baseball with all his extra curricular activities was always a challenge, but nothing James couldn't handle. He double checked his watch to make sure he was on time as he arrived at the correct room number.

When he opened the door with a creak, he immediately wondered if he was at the wrong place.

Several boys were lounged around the single table in the room, their feet up in a way James was certain was definitely not allowed in class. He vaguely recognized their faces, but was lost on their names. Papers were scattered around the floor, some formed into paper airplanes they'd thrown. James realized it looked like their assigned homework.

As they noticed him come in, the boy's chatter died down, and half a dozen gazes pierced right through him.

James felt himself tense under the scrutiny.

"You lost or something?" One of the boys said, when he didn't speak up right away.

James chewed on his lip, unsure what to say. "Um– this room was reserved for student council?" He didn't know why they were all here, but the mess they'd made of the room didn't speak of good news.

A rubber band was thrown across the room, and another boy, who had a lollipop between his teeth, rolled his eyes at him. "You should have just come earlier."

What? James raised his eyebrows into his hairline. "But, I was on time!" he argued, and it came out a bit higher than he expected. A few sighs and laughs scattered across the room.

"Why don't you just get out of here, shitty nerd?"

Murmurs of agreement followed the suggestion, and heat rushed to James' face at the name. He narrowed his eyes at lollipop boy, feeling a flicker of anger in his chest.

As much as he wanted to stay and argue, he didn't have time to be wasted on some rude jerks. His best option right now was to leave. Maybe he would tell on them later, and disband their little group. James opened the door with a huff to leave.

"You're so immature," he said under his breath. 

But apparently it came out much louder than he'd anticipated.

Lollipop boy quirked an eyebrow at him, and a crazed smile graced his lips. "Immature? At least I don't dress like a little kid."

Multiple jeers erupted at the comment, and James felt the tips of his ears go hot, his entire face burning by now. He swiftly turned to exit out the door, and ignored the way the boys laughed at him from the other side.

_"Stupid jerks."_

Of course they were jerks– they obviously had nothing better to do than hang out after school and wreck other people's after-school activities. He shouldn't have cared about what they had to say– but it still sent his heart pounding anxiously either way.

_Shitty nerd._

The words ringed in his head relentlessly, along with the laughter and mocking tone the boys held. James was never really the type to get picked on in school, being regarded as mostly friendly and cool by his peers– so their comments hurt in a new, different kind of way. He resisted the urge to bite his lip some more– it was a nervous tic he'd been trying to avoid since his mother had pointed it out. But in the end he couldn't help it. Was that really what they thought of him, in their first encounter? He'd never even met any of them before!

James sighed and attempted to pull himself together. If he let himself overthink, it would never stop bothering him the rest of the day–which is something he definitely didn't want. He had to meet Ryan afterwards, and he wasn't in the mood for him to turn into a protective momma bear. Although he appreciated his friend cared about when he was upset– it was admittedly embarrassing he could see through him so easily. James didn't want to burden him with his problems.

He took the long way down to the front of the school, where the two were supposed to meet after their clubs. As he was kicked out of his, James spent the next hour and a half scrolling through his phone to pass the time. He almost didn't notice when Ryan walked up to him, backpack slung around his shoulder and camera around his neck.

"Did you wait here long?" He asked, in that ever-smooth voice of his.

James pretended to not be startled, and he jumped out of his seat when he saw him. "I'm–no, you're fine. How was photography?"

Ryan gave him half a shrug, which James had come to learn meant 'really well'. He gathered his things off the wooden bench he'd been sitting in, and grabbed his backpack off the floor. Right away it was taken off his hands by Ryan, who always insisted he carry James' things home. The brunet had argued against it once, but the other had claimed he had "no problem" doing it.

"And you? How was student council?"

James chewed on the inside of his cheek. "It went fine," he said, playing it as casual as he could. He knew those green eyes were boring into him, so he kept his eyes forward, staring at the path back to their houses.

"Just fine?"

Ryan let out a hum, a sign that he was working whatever out in his brain. He tried to not look so suspicious, but he knew it was futile. James hoped he would drop it, and he was about to move on with another subject, when he spoke again.

"So… _you,_ president of the science and environment club, _and_ the chess club, thought student council just went _fine._ "

Damn him for knowing James so well.

"Yeah. It went _fine_. What's wrong with that?" He jutted his lip out in a pout, and avoided Ryan's eyes, which seemed to gleam in amusement.

But he only shrugged, hiding the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips. "Just thought you'd be more excited for it, that's all," he teased, and James couldn't help but nudge him harshly in the arm. He didn't budge of course, but it made a laugh escape from those full lips.

"You're a jerk," James said, and he blushed when Ryan ruffled his hair in retaliation. Curse him and his stupid height.

"A bigger jerk than Kogane?" He replied with a smile.

James let out a half-scoff half-laugh at the name. Now that their conversation topic had changed, he let himself relax. "Ugh, don't even mention him. I have to sit next to him in class now."

Okay, so he'd told Ryan about his misadventures with Keith during middle school. But who else could he complain to about the fiery hothead? It's what friends did to let out steam. His stories were likely on the end of more exaggerated than realistic, but it's not like Ryan was going to tell anybody.

James was suddenly met with a warm back pressed flush against his front, and he realized that Ryan had stopped.

"He's not bothering you, is he?"

James raised an eyebrow at his friend. "I – what? I mean– no." He admitted. Surprisingly enough, Keith had behaved himself the last marking period, and James had been thankfully not around to see if he'd gotten into any new fights. He didn't know if things would change now that they were forced together, but Keith... actually hadn't bothered him in a long time.

Ryan seemed satisfied with that answer, so he kept walking, throwing him a cautious look as he did so. It was almost strange, but James didn't linger on it.

"You know I'm always here if you need me," Ryan said, with such a calm expression James didn't know how he did it. His words felt so genuine and kind it sent a surge of warmth through James' veins, making his cheeks and neck warm up. Ryan had always been too nice to him, and he was grateful to have such a good friend in his life supporting him.

He rubbed at his nose to hide the blush he knew he was sporting. "Thanks, Ry. I know."

Even though his evening had been spoiled by the boys at school, it didn't stop him from laughing with his friend as they walked home.

xxx 

The _beep beep beep_ of his alarm sent a ripple of anxiety through James, and he launched his hand over his phone to silence it. Shit shit shit. That had been his fifth alarm–which meant he was running late. James must have been bone tired to sleep through all of that, but he couldn't ponder on it at the moment. With all the grace of a newborn deer, he tripped over a stack of books as he made a beeline to the bathroom. He wouldn't have time to do his hair today– so he settled with brushing his face and teeth before getting dressed. Perfect. Of all the days to be late– it had to be the day he had two exams and a lab report due.

James threw on the first pair of jeans he saw, and opened his closet to see the colorful array of clothes neatly organized on the hangers. He was just about to put on any shirt and go, when his hands froze just before he touched the fabric.

It was almost instinctual, and the venomous words from the day before returned to the forefront of his mindagainst his will.

_"Shitty nerd."_

_"At least I don't dress like a little kid."_

Something in James' stomach dropped at the memory, and he shut his eyes, as if trying to block it out. No. He didn't care about those dumb jerks– and he wasn't gonna let their words get to him. Their comments were meaningless, and ridiculous at most. But if that was true, then why did it make him tremble, and cause his heart to beat faster than normal?

James clenched his jaw, remembering the way the boys had laughed at him. It was no secret that he cared about his reputation, and more often than he'd like to admit, what others thought about him. Nadia had called him out on it more than once, and it wasn't something he was especially proud of. Or something that he could control anyway! He knew he had to grow out of it, but it was difficult. Were the negative opinions of others really enough to make him want to change the way he dressed?

James sucked in a breath, as he felt his resolve crumbling. _Yes. They were._

It was a shame he didn't have time to find his contacts, but he was able to scavenge a black tee and a pair of sneakers before he left his house. It was a contrast from the pop of color he usually wore, or the nice collared shirts he usually liked, but it didn't matter to James– at least he wouldn't look the same as yesterday. Like a _little kid,_ his mind helpfully supplied. James shook the thought away.

He ran through the puddled sidewalks of his street, and realized he hadn't prepared for the weather. Shit– another thing he'd forgotten: an umbrella. But it was too late to go back now, so he kept sprinting, hoping he'd make it on time. He ran with his mangled breakfast in hand, and his backpack hastily thrown around his shoulders.

The first bell rang as he entered the classroom, and he was panting by the time he sat down at his desk. Luckily, he wasn't the only one just coming in, so he didn't draw any unnecessary attention to himself. Pulling out his binder for class, he distantly felt a pair of blue eyes on him, and it sent a surge of irritation through James, already knowing what Keith was thinking. So what if he was almost late? Nobody was perfect– and Keith, with his many tardies, was the last person who could judge him.

He scoffed and he opted to ignore him, returning his full attention to the white board and equations ahead of him. He got started on his notes right away, and wrote his name and date on the corner of his page in the appropriate fashion. But he couldn't ignore the way the words on the board looked blurry, almost appearing smudged across the smooth surface. Damn it.

James reached inside his bag, searching for the glasses he barely ever wore in school. It was kept in a small pocket, stowed away for days like this where he'd forgotten his contacts. He didn't really like the way they made him look, but at least it helped him to take notes.

He was in the middle of writing his fifth column of functions of the brain when Keith's voice cut through his concentration, soft and barely audible over the sound of people working.

"Forgot to do laundry yesterday?"

James narrowed his eyes at the words, his frustration stirring within him and transforming into anger.

Stupid Keith and his mocking. He gripped the pencil in his hand harder, and he really tried his best to ignore him, but not talking back was never James' strong suit.

"You're such a jerk," he spat out, quietly so they wouldn't be heard.

Keith didn't respond back, as expected, so he continued writing his notes. He really didn't know what his problem was.

xxx

James picked at the mashed potatoes on his plate, listening to the clatter of students getting their lunch trays and a group of junior boys roughhousing around with their friends. James usually spent his lunch time with Nadia and Ina, mostly paying attention to Nadia's ridiculous stories about her ex Lance, or helping Ina study for whatever exam was coming up. Today, though, his mood was less than cheerful to listen to any gossip they had to offer.

When the topic of conversation suddenly returned to him, he was pulled out of his thoughts.

"What did you say?"

Nadia's golden eyes rolled to the back of her head, because he hadn't been listening. Instead of getting upset though, her mouth quickly turned back into a wide smile. "I said I like your new look! Very hip. Loving the dark colors."

"Oh… thank y–"

"It does make me wonder, though: is this for any special occasion?" Her lips turned cat-like, and she rested her cheeks on her palms, full attention on him.

James put his fork down, and politely dabbed at his mouth with a napkin. "No. Why would you say that?"

Nadia had a mischievous glimmer in her eyes, which could only mean trouble, and it made James wary. Ina, next to him, continued to stab at her salad, and Nadia whined when she answered before she could. "Nadia thinks you're trying to impress someone," she said, ever so bluntly.

Nadia's jaw fell open in a comical manner, as if offended at her claim. "Am not! My dear sunflower mermaid Ina, I can't believe you'd say that!" She brought a hand to her forehead dramatically, and James arched an eyebrow at her, confused as ever. But with a single look from the blonde, she quit the act. "Okay, so maybe I am, a little." She confessed.

James didn't know where this was coming from. It's not like he was confused at her behavior– the last few years together had rendered him accustomed to her antics, but he didn't know where this was coming from. It's not like he had expressed interest in anyone recently– and James was not really the type to make people notice him with his style. If he liked someone, he would probably go for the old fashioned route of giving chocolates and love notes.

"I know it's hard to believe, but no. I'm not trying to impress anyone."

Nadia let her shoulders fall, but a look of determination stayed on her face. In fact, it twisted into something more sly, and James was lying if he said it didn't frighten him.

She tapped at her chin thoughtfully, and drew her gaze to the sky in faux wonder. "Really? Not anyone? Not even by the name of… _Keith?"_

James was glad that he wasn't drinking water–or else he would have spit it all out in that moment. "W–What? What are you talking about!?"

Nadia leaned into the table, and stuck a wagging finger in his face. "Don't play games with me, Jamie, you know exactly what I'm talking about! You had the biggest crush on him in middle school!"

James, despite himself, blushed furiously at the comment. Immediately, Ina turned to gape at him at the shocking reveal of information– which was absolutely false in every which way! How many people were listening in on their conversation, right now?

"That–that's not true and you know it!" James defended, because he was not going to let Nadia get away with spreading fake rumors about him.

She slumped back in her seat, and a shadow of disappointment fell on her face. "Still in denial, I see, just admit it!" That was _not_ making anything better.

Ina, bless her heart, turned to her with a questioning look. "Keith Kogane? Why would James be attracted to his sworn enemy?"

A flicker of interest shone in Nadia's eyes, and James felt his heart skip a beat in his chest. She did not need to start explaining anything. Because he did _not_ like Keith!

"Nadia– _don't."_

But his protests fell on deaf ears, and she unabashedly continued. "Oh, you have no idea! James would literally never stop talking about Keith in Miss Richard's 5th grade classroom– he literally almost drove _me_ crazy! Me! And they were such cute friends back in elementary school!" 

James ducked his head in embarrassment, as he felt his cheeks burn hotter with each passing second. He knew he would regret the day he told Nadia all about him and Keith's history. Their friendship in elementary school was short lived at the most, and it was easily disbanded as they grew up and found more things to dislike about each other. It wasn't a big deal. And he _definitely_ didn't remember having a crush on him– he'd had plenty of girlfriends back then, thank you very much.

A soft nudge from Ina hit him in the arm, and he threw her a sideways glance. "I didn't know you and Keith went way back," she said, with a similar twinkle in her eyes that Nadia sported. How they loved to tease him.

James hunched his shoulders, and shoved his fork into his food forcefully so he didn't have to look at the duo. "Yeah. It _was_ a long time ago. But it doesn't matter anymore," he grit through his teeth.

After Keith punched him in the face when he got angry at him, his chances of salvaging _that_ relationship were down to around a big fat zero. Not that he wanted to anyway– James was perfectly fine with Keith not being in his life. In fact, he'd forgotten what it had been like when Keith was.

"You should try to talk to him again!" Nadia said, her round eyes looking more sympathetic and less troublesome than before. "Y'know, make new memories! All that needs to happen is for someone to make the first move!"

She made it sound so easy, and James had to resist rolling his eyes. "Yeah, like that's ever going to happen."

"But why not? You see it all the time in movies and tv– you guys could _actually_ make up–"

James's entire body went tense, and he growled deep in his throat, clutching the utensil in his hand tight. "Keith _hates_ me, okay!? He _doesn't_ like me! And he never will."

He must have spoken louder than he thought, because suddenly, a few heads were turning to look in the direction of their table. James carded his fingers through his hair nervously, and he chose to stare down at his plate.

No. Keith was never going to like him again.

Because it was all his fault their relationship was ruined in the first place.

The surge of disappointment that went through James at that thought was almost concerning.

xxx

James worried his lip between his teeth as he walked down the stairs, backpack in hand and shoulders slumped. Keith had always been a sensitive topic for him–which is something that his quote unquote "friends" already should have known. It was true that they had been friends at some point when they were five or maybe six, but those days were long gone, leaving a painful patch in James' memories that he didn't like to think about too much. He never let on that it bothered him, of course– at least not to Ryan, who always grew concerned over him and had only heard about their less unpleasant misadventures. Getting in trouble at recess and stealing snacks from their teacher were only a few of the stories. Not getting punched in the face, when he'd made a rash, ill-advised comment about his apparently non-existent parents in the heat of a moment. Keith had never forgiven him for that. At least, he didn't get a chance to– because they seldom spoke after that. They were both so young, and then James found other reasons to not talk to the boy. And Keith didn't make an effort to repair their friendship either.

A knot formed in his stomach as James reached the end of the hall. Keith was certainly not something that he liked to think about during school hours– maybe because it made his mood sour, or because it caused him to snap like he had during lunch. He was grateful it was the end of the day so he could continue to muse about his failed relationships. Ryan was going to babysit today, so he had all the time in the world to walk home and just _think_. He actually didn't know if that was good for him or not.

Before he left though, he took a detour, because his bladder was killing him and he wasn't planning on returning home in pain. James beelined for the nearest bathroom he could find near the back of the school, but what he found when he went inside made his stomach sink.

It was the same group of boys from the other day, leaned against the bathroom stalls and dirty sinks, as if they didn't care that anyone would catch them in this place after school. An awful stench reached his nose, and right away James realized that they were all smoking, and empty bottles of what he could only assume was alcohol were laid out on the floor.

Every muscle in James' body tensed, and he found himself unable to move from his place at the door. Okay. He had to relax. It's not like he could be certain they remembered him– they'd only just seen him for the first time yesterday. He could just do his business and leave, ignorant to the fact that what they were doing was extremely against the rules. They wouldn't even notice him come in.

A cackle bounced against the bathroom walls. "If it isn't Shitty Nerd!"

Well, so much for that wish. James clenched his jaw, determined to keep a straight face when he heard the nickname again. Engaging would be stupid, so he made for a stall, but it was blocked by one of the boys, who leaned with their back against the door.

"Damn, not even a hello? He must be pissed," the boy accused, and James hated the way those lips pulled into a wicked grin. Now that they were all standing, he could see they were all considerably taller than him, and it was not a comforting thing.

"I'd appreciate if you'd just let me go," James said, and he attempted to push the boy's arm away. He didn't let him.

"Oh. Do you need to go? Sorry, I think someone's in there," He replied with faux friendliness, and James felt a heat rise to his cheeks, unsure of what to do. This jerk obviously wasn't going to let him in, so he looked behind his shoulder to the closed door, and then to the sinks.

Before he could walk out and search for another bathroom, a hand fisted itself in his shirt, and he was brought forwards with a slight yank. He nearly stumbled over himself, tripping over the bottles on the floor.

"Hey, why are you thinking of leaving? Why don't you stay?" The boy's voice was menacing under its honeyed quality, and James could smell the strong alcohol in his breath with how close he was. His heart rate was picking up in his chest.

"Come on, just relax. Have a little fucking taste." The lip of a bottle was then brought to James' mouth, and he jerked back, pushing the boy away in retaliation. With his heart beating in his throat, James could barely decipher what happened next.

The boy holding him stumbled back into someone else, and the drink he was holding spilled over himself and the others, causing a chorus of curses to reverberate around the bathroom.

 _"You fucking shit!"_ The boy cried out, and before James could blink, a sharp blow was delivered to the side of his head, and a sudden burst of pain bloomed where he'd been hit. He was thrown off balance, and James barely had enough time to catch himself against the stall doors, the pain thick and throbbing and disorienting.

He distantly took note of how the world around him looked was out of focus, and his stomach churned when he heard the very clear _crunch_ of broken glass above the chatter.

When the worst of the pain mitigated, different voices were speaking all at once, but they weren't cursing at him anymore.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"You hit a fucking _freshman_?"

"We're gonna get in trouble, you dipshit!"

Somebody pulled him to his feet, less than gently, and his broken glasses were thrust back into his hands. He stumbled back outside to the hallway, and he didn't look behind him as he ran out the building.

xxx

James wiped at his nose, and rubbed an arm over his face to stop the tears that threatened to fall. The side of his head hurt, but at least it could have been worse for him, as it was only a numbing pain now. His shattered glasses lay on the ground in front of him, broken beyond repair and dirty from being stepped on. Those stupid jerks. It had been a long time that he felt someone's wrath in the form of a punch, and he could safely say he didn't miss the feeling. What was he going to tell his mom? She had been generous with getting him new glasses last time, and now he had to foolishly ask for another pair. James let out a shaky breath, and he ran his fingers through his mussed hair.

After being hit, he didn't want to be followed home, so he retreated to sulking on a lonely street, wondering how he'd show his face in school tomorrow. His skin felt hot to the touch, and he wiped away some more of his tears.

A loud, startling noise in front of him made him jump.

He recoiled, and pulled his hands away from his flushed face to see a skateboard, and some pale knees decorated with colorful band aids. The raspy voice that came out of the person wasn't comforting, when he realized who it was.

"What the hell happened to _you_?"

James looked up at Keith, and hoped he didn't look as miserable as he felt. The judgemental expression on his face only made the anger within him simmer. 

_"Nothing,"_ he snapped, and Keith stepped on the skateboard so he could grab it with his hand. The blatant lie didn't fool Keith, but then again, it wasn't like he was trying to convince him.

"You look like shit," he said, and James felt the fire in him dissipate, not in the mood for another fight. Especially not with Keith. That could wait for another day. Actually, he preferred if it didn't happen at all.

James didn't meet Keith's eyes, and he only pulled his knees closer to his chest to create a barrier between them. His broken glasses stared up at him like a joke.

Several beats passed, and he thought Keith had grown bored of him and left him alone, but he was surprised when the other sat down next to him on the sidewalk.

"Those guys are assholes," Keith said, and he stretched his legs out into the pavement. "Why were you hanging out with them?"

Did he think he was doing it on purpose? James sighed and he ducked his head in embarrassment. When did Keith become so talkative? Was he just relishing in how miserable and beat up James looked? He lowered his eyes to his glasses. "I _wasn't_. I'm not _that_ big of a jerk, you know."

The memories from earlier forced themselves into his head, and the numbing on his head didn't cease. With just enough effort, he could block it out. It didn't stop his vision from distorting with tears, though, and he wiped at them away.

Sitting together on the edge of the sidewalk reminded James of when they were six, not a care in the world and catching frogs during rainy days when they got to hang out after school. It brought back bittersweet memories, and the simple action almost comforted him. The sound of Keith's voice and his very presence was familiar, grounding, and despite himself, it helped James to calm down. He looked away when he realized Keith was staring at him with those inky blue eyes of his.

"Why are you still here? Don't you have anything better to do?" James huffed out, but it came out angrier than he felt. Keith, apparently taking his advice, stood up from his place next to him.

"It sucks that those broke," he said, and James followed his pointed gaze to the shattered glasses on the ground, confused.

"They looked good on you,"

Without any warning or explanation, Keith dropped his skateboard to the ground, and skated away in the direction of his house. James was left in a state of shock, blinking dumbly after him.

Had he.. had he heard that correctly? Keith wouldn't just... _say_ something like that to him in the open, right? Keith _hated_ him. And James was most definitely going crazy, and it was all because of the blow to his head. It was the only viable explanation.

With his thoughts going a million miles an hour, James picked himself off the floor, and grabbed his backpack to go home.

xxx

The warmth that enveloped him was like a blanket, soft and comfortable, and James took in the minty scent of Ryan's hoodie. He had gotten home later than usual, and he was surprised to see his friend had been waiting for him in front of his house. Ryan pulled back from his hug when he noticed the broken lenses in his palm, practically just bits and pieces now.

"James, we were so worried about you. Are you feeling okay?"

James missed the warmth of his body, but he nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. It was just some jerks in the bathroom that were drinking."

Ryan brushed his fringe away with his fingers to see where he'd been hit, probably to check for a bruise. "Why didn't you call or text? Nadia pretty much blew up my phone because of how concerned she was about you."

James looked away sheepishly, embarrassed that he hadn't thought of doing it at all. He was so caught up with the events of the day and disoriented he hadn't realized his friends were probably wondering where he was. James _always_ sent them a text when he got home.

When he looked down at the apologetic look on his face, Ryan placed a hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner. "It's okay. But tell me, did you know who it was? This is serious, James."

He tried to recall all the different faces of the boys, but he found that he didn't remember any of them. The realization sent a flicker of uncertainty through James. He was just about to tell Ryan that, when he kept talking.

"Was it Keith?"

The hand on his shoulder slightly tightened, and James' eyebrows flew into his hairline. Keith wouldn't– what was he talking about? Something akin to protectiveness surged through James at hearing the accusation, and he took a step back.

"What? No, of course he didn't do it." He said, shaking his head. Yes, Keith had a bit of a temper like himself, but he wasn't the type to do illegal things on school grounds. He wasn't stupid. From what he remembered when he watched Keith in the hallways, the boy was mostly about skipping class to go outside to pet the stray cats, or read a book. He guessed Ryan's suspicion was warranted, though– James _had_ told him about his knack for getting in trouble.

His friend's green eyes softened, and he ran the hand on his shoulder to his forearm. "I know. I just hope you're being safe." The words calmed him for a moment, but it didn't make the anxiety in James lessen. Ryan pulled him into another hug.

"What happens if they find me after school again?" His voice was soft and worried.

Ryan gave him the smallest, reassuring smile. "I'll make sure they don't."

He enjoyed the way his large arms tightened around his smaller figure, but James' mind still lingered on smooth long hair, and inky blue eyes.

xxx

James got less than the amount of sleep he wanted that night, because his brain was too busy thinking about what Keith had said. It played in his mind over and over like a broken record, and soon enough he forgot all about the boys in the bathroom and his broken glasses. Luckily, his mom was able to give him a new pair she had planned to give him for his birthday, so he didn't need to worry about that. He refused to admit it was because of Keith, but maybe he would start wearing them more.

His next morning was significantly more tranquil than the other days, and when he sat down, he felt like the air around him and Keith had changed. He didn't say a word to him, but James offered him a small smile, just to be polite. If Keith had made an effort in perhaps being nice to him, then he would too.

Their first class of the day dragged on, until their teacher started talking about partner projects.

There were many partners James considered suitable in his class, along with Nadia and some of his friends, and James secretly hoped he got someone dedicated and hardworking. Their partners would be chosen out of a hat, and his classmates lined up to take the little papers with names written on them.

James sucked in a breath when it was his turn, praying that he would get someone he liked. When he got back to his seat, paper in hand, his eyes widened at the contents written there.

Keith.

He had to swear this thing was rigged.

James held back a sigh, as he remembered all the different projects he'd had with the other boy in the past. They were mostly one-sided, with him having done all the work, and James wouldn't have exactly called Keith dedicated _or_ hardworking.

He ran an anxious hand to the back of his neck, watching as the boy chewed on the end of his pencil.

But, they could do this. It's not like Keith really hated him, anymore right? His comment on the sidewalk must have meant _something._ If it meant his full-on hatred of James was actually just strong dislike, that was fine with him.

Keith didn't say anything to him the remaining duration of class, so he had to make the first move in asking how they were going to work. Damn it.

When the bell rang, James picked up the pace to catch up to Keith, and stopped him before he could disappear into the crowd. In hindsight, he probably shouldn't have grabbed the back of his jacket.

Keith turned around to face him with a vicious glare, but it immediately softened when he saw him. _That was weird,_ James thought. But he quickly drew his hand back, and held the strap of his backpack instead. "Um. Hey," He croaked, when Keith didn't make a move to talk. In fact, he looked almost impatient, like he had somewhere better to be. He was going to have to do this all by himself, wasn't he? 

"So… you know we're partners. Um. When are we going to work on the project?"

James watched intently as the gears turned in Keith's head at the question. When he seemed to consider all of his options, he only flashed him a look. "Your house. Tomorrow at 5. Is that good?"

James opened and closed his mouth, but he eventually nodded, finding no problem with that. "Uh. Yeah, that's fine."

And just like that, Keith turned on his heel to walk to his next class, not even waiting for James to discuss anything else, like what each of them would bring. As much as he wanted to have hope, something in James' head told him their project was going to end in a disaster.

xxx

Luckily James didn't run into his bullies after school again, and his time at chemistry club went by without a hitch. At precisely five o'clock the next day, there was a knock on his front door.

He didn't need to share his address with Keith, because he'd visited his house before. That had been a long time ago, though, and he was surprised Keith hadn't gotten lost.

"Hey," James greeted when he opened the door. Keith was dressed in a similar red jacket and pants that he always wore, but he was still carrying his skateboard in one arm. There was no car in sight behind him. "Um, did you skateboard here?" Even if his mom wasn't in the house, he hoped she wouldn't mind that he hadn't seen or talked to any guardian.

Keith gave him half a shrug as a yes, and James stepped aside to let him in.

Of course he'd cleaned before he arrived– it was only good manners, after all, and he had to be prepared. There were also some cinnamon rolls in the oven his mom had left them in case they got hungry. Keith walked inside the house, and it seemed like he was looking for something. "I thought you had a dog?"

James pressed his lips together. "Umm, yeah, I did. But we had to give him away," he explained sadly, wondering how Keith had remembered that he has a dog at all. He knew Keith liked dogs. He was pretty sure he had one of his own, from what James had seen when they went for a walk around the neighborhood. His name was Comet or something along those lines. James walked up the stairs and beckoned Keith to follow him. "I got the materials for the project. It's in my room."

Keith had never seen his room before– and now that they approached the door, anticipation washed over James, tinged with a certain shyness. What if Keith said something to him about it when he saw it? Or he didn't like it? He knew these concerns were trivial, but after what had happened with the group of boys at school, he couldn't help but feel a bit anxious.

Keith followed him inside, and he paused to take everything in as James stood to the side.

His room wasn't particularly luxurious compared to the rest of the house, but it was tidy and organized, just like James wanted. Dozens of books were piled on every surface and shelf, and under his bed. He had hung up diagrams about astronomy on the walls, along with movie posters he'd collected over the years. It wasn't very extravagant, in James' opinion, but Keith wasn't shy about walking around, and inspecting every little thing in his room.

"It's roomier than I thought," he muttered, and he made his way over to his table, picking up a spyglass that James had left there. He looked through it, and James walked closer behind him, still keeping his distance and squeezing his hands together nervously. When he was done, he ran the tips of his fingers over a stack of books, and looked at the stationery there.

It was kind of endearing, how curious he was, and James absentmindedly wondered what Keith's room looked like, and if he'd ever get the chance to see it.

After he was finished inspecting his desk and the walls, Keith walked over to his closet, and then opened the doors like he had any business doing so.

"Is this your boy scout outfit?"

James immediately felt his face flush, and he shut the doors before Keith could look through any more of his stuff. "Can we just focus, please?!" He croaked out, and he could see a smirk tugging at the corner of Keith's lips when he walked away.

"Okay," he shrugged, and he went to sit down on the rug by his bed.

James got out a couple of notebooks and markers for them to plan for their project, as well as some scratch paper and scissors. Just to make sure they had everything. He popped the cap off one off one of the markers when he kneeled down next to Keith. 

"I think we should do a powerpoint," James started, and he wrote down both of their names on the blue lines. "It's easier and we can work on it when we're not together. She'll probably take off points for the interactive part, but I think the number of slides will more than make up for it." The topic of their presentation was systems of the human body, and having done a million research projects before, it was easy in James' book.

He pulled his backpack open to get the assigned rubric, when he realized Keith was acting unusually quiet. He had never been afraid to voice his opinions to James before, especially negative ones.

His voice was quiet and hesitant when he finally spoke. "I… I think we should do a poster."

James rolled his eyes to the ceiling at the suggestion. "Keith, last time we did that you didn't even work on half of it. I had to do most of the talking too." That had not been a particularly successful presentation, and he really wanted good grades this time around. Looking at Keith now though, he appeared so shy, but he knitted his eyebrows together when James opened his mouth.

"That's because you didn't even let me work on it!", he defended. "You said my handwriting wasn't good enough." 

Oops. Had he said that? James lowered his gaze to the paper he was writing on so he didn't have to look at him. "We needed it to be legible, Keith," he said, slightly exasperated.

But apparently, Keith wasn't giving up, and before he could scribble down the rest of his planning, the paper was snatched from underneath his arm.

"Hey!"

Keith turned to face him with a steely look, and James found his eyes unable to break away from the other's blue ones. He didn't know what power Keith possessed for him to do that, but James didn't say anything as he waited for his response.

"Just trust me on this," Keith said, and he gave him back his paper. It was crumpled from where Keith had grabbed it, and a long mark was drawn down the middle from where he'd messed up. James pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

Ninety percent of the time, it was him who planned their projects and did the most of the work and research. It was a matter of being certain that they got an A, and sometimes that meant Keith's ideas didn't really go into fruition in the past.

He _had_ to get an A though, and the thought of not having control over what they did made him nervous. Maybe he was being a little unfair.

Seeing Keith's pleading face now, it actually made him feel a little guilty.

James chewed on the inside of his cheek, and he put his marker down on the floor. "Fine. What do you have in mind?"

xxx

James watched closely as Keith drew long lines on the poster board, all confident strokes and neat marks. He was sprawled on the floor, knees up and eyes scrutinizing on whatever next detail he was working on.

James had finished the research part of the project ten minutes ago, and having nothing to do, he decided to watch Keith work his magic. To his surprise, he let him, but maybe that was just because he was being quiet.

He lay down on his bed next to Keith, legs crossed and chin resting over his crossed arms.

James was not artistically inclined by any means: math and science was where the majority of his interests lied – but as he observed Keith draw on the poster board with ease, he almost wished that he was. He was itching to see the final product, and he knew Keith could tell, by the way he would occasionally glance up at him.

After twenty minutes or so and he was starting to doze off, Keith turned the poster around so he could see his artwork.

"What do you think?"

He had drawn a copy of the diagram of the heart, complete with color and shading that made it almost look almost realistic and James' mouth fell open. He was astounded by the attention to detail.

"That… it's really good," he said, breathless, and Keith let him take the project from his hands so he could admire his handiwork. 

He always knew Keith liked to draw, but he never realized how _actually_ talented he was. Just by going off craftsmanship, their grade was probably a solid B by now. All thanks to Keith.

"You sound surprised," Keith responded, and James' cheeks warmed.

"I– I just mean you're talented, that's all."

He did not need another reason for Keith to not like him. He was just saying the truth!

A hint of a smile formed on Keith's lips, and he gave him the poster back.

James didn't know how he hadn't noticed Keith's gift before, but then again, it's not like he often got a chance to see his artwork.

Keith kneeled back on the floor, and held a pen cap between his teeth as he wrote his name on the paper. "Knew you were gonna like it," he said, smugly, and James couldn't even get upset at that.

He continued to work on the finishing details, and James pulled his pillow closer, biting his lip as he watched. Their evening had so far gone so peacefully, but his recurring thoughts about their unfortunate meet up prodded at James' mind. It demanded answers. Since they were alone, James figured there was no better time to ask than at that moment.

"Keith. Can I ask you something?"

The other boy didn't look up his place on the floor, and he only gave a small humming noise that sounded vaguely like a yes.

"When we were out on the sidewalk after school… why did you come talk to me?"

Keith spit the pen cap out of his mouth, and he smiled incredulously, like James had said a strange joke. "What do you mean?"

James pressed his lips together, and dipped his head, not certain how to say it out loud. He should have planned for this beforehand.

"I just… we haven't exactly been on the best of terms for a while." It was an understatement, but still, he wanted to know what made Keith want to suddenly sit next to him after he was having a bad day, and possibly compliment him. Something about Keith's behavior told him he didn't want to talk about it.

Keith's mouth formed into a small pout, and after a while, he merely shrugged his shoulders, still not looking up to meet his eyes.. "I don't know. You just seemed miserable, that's all. Nothing to it."

A faint pinkness dusted his round cheeks, and James couldn't believe it.

Had Keith…actually wanted to comfort him?

Keith _saw_ him being miserable out on the street, and he made the decision to talk to him, to sit next to him. He _wanted_ to be nice. To James, there was no other alternative.

It was the kind of thing he never would have expected from the other, and a little flicker of hope bloomed in James' chest because of it. Maybe he had been wrong– maybe their relationship _did_ have a chance at being salvaged.

"That was _nice_ of you, Keith."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Keith's head snapped towards him for the first time in a while, and he looked for all the world like James had just said a vicious curse word.

"I don't– _No_ , it wasn't! It was nothing." He said, and hastily picked up his pen again, just to go over lines that were already perfect.

The other tried to deny it, but even _he_ knew it was true. Keith hadbeen _nice to him!_ And James felt awful.

Ignoring his protests, he continued talking.

"I… I never thanked you. I'm sorry I was so rude. I'm glad you were there to talk to me after what happened."

Keith _really_ looked embarrassed now, his face a deep shade of crimson he couldn't hide behind those long bangs. His hair puffed up in a way that reminded James much of an angry kitten, and it made a smile break out on his face.

"I'm telling you, it was _nothing_ , okay? I'm _not_ nice," He affirmed, although at this point it sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

James grinned at his expression, because it was pretty cute. He was so, so flustered, and James couldn't help but lightly tease. "I didn't know you were such a softy, Keith."

Keith's jaw fell open, and his eyes widened into saucers. He uncapped a sharpie with a renounced vigor, because _no one_ called Keith soft, especially him.

"James, I will literally mark your face with this permanent marker," he threatened, and James only let out a soft chuckle.

"I'd like to see you tr–HEY!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Keith had launched himself across the bed, and attacked his face with the sharpie. When he pulled away, a large smile graced his pink lips.

The laughter that followed was loud and giggly, and it almost shocked James when he heard it.

When was the last time Keith had laughed so hard and so genuinely? Even if it was directed at him, it filled James with a warmth that reached the tips of his ears.

But he did not appreciate him writing on his face, and immediately, he picked up his phone to put it on camera mode. He gasped at what he saw.

A large black mark was drawn from his cheekbone, all the way to his jawline.

"Keith! I have to go to a party tomorrow!" He squeaked, but it came out as more of a whine. 

Keith's laughter died right away when he realized his mistake, and James almost regretted telling him anything at all.

"Oh."

His face paled, embarrassed, but after a few seconds, he scooted closer to James on the bed, with the marker still in his hand. "Let me fix it. I'll make it better," he reassured.

James scoffed. He was not sure how to feel about _that_ plan, but he didn't make a move to stop him. How else was he going to show his face in public tomorrow?

Keith brought the marker up to his face, and carefully, he started drawing more lines on his cheek.

He stuck his tongue out in concentration, and James thought it was pretty cute.

Being so, so close to the other was almost too much for him, but thankfully it was over relatively quickly, and Keith put the cap back on the sharpie.

"There. Now no one will question it."

James turned to the camera app on his phone again, to see that Keith had turned the ugly mark into a simple butterfly. It was slightly better, but he was still upset at him for drawing on his face.

"Gee thanks, my first tattoo. I kinda thought I'd be cooler, if I'm honest."

Keith broke out in giggles again at his comment, or his face, or both, and James couldn't help but join in. Heat rushed to his already warm face, and it felt good.

When they eventually got hungry and wanted food, they headed back downstairs, leaving their project long forgotten on James' bedroom floor.

He got back at Keith for the markings, of course, and the side of Keith's face was now permanently decorated with tiny stars as they prepared their snacks.

"Can I get strawberry frosting on my cinnamon roll?" Keith asked, leaning against the kitchen counter as James took out some napkins.

"You're so picky," He replied, but he got the frosting out of the pantry anyway, because Keith was pretty convincing with his cat-like smile, and he was afraid he would raid it himself. He also got a plastic bag, because the cinnamon rolls he made were tidy and professional, thank you very much.

James filled the bag with an appropriate amount of frosting, and he cut the edge to make a makeshift decorating bag.

"You're taking so long!" Keith complained, when James was skillfully adding the frosting to the rolls. He impatiently walked to his side, and James rolled his eyes to the ceiling.

"I'm just trying to make it look nice!", he huffed petulantly. "You don't appreciate my baking powers."

"You didn't even bake these, your mom did!"

"That's besides the point."

"Can we hurry this along?"

Keith placed his hand over James' own over the bag, and before James could tell him to stop in a panic, he squeezed _hard_ , spilling frosting all over them both.

_"Keith!"_

Despite being covered in the stuff, Keith still convulsed with laughter, and James wiped some of it out of his face and bangs. Keith's face was cupid-pink like the frosting, and James found himself staring at his grinning face. He was so lucky he liked it when he smiled– he'd had to clean the mess up all by himself!

Before either of them could start wiping off the counters or their soiled clothes, the doorbell rang, putting a pause on the fun that they were having.

"Oh, shoot."

Dapping his face with a paper towel, James rushed to the door, and peeked out to see who it could be. His mom wasn't supposed to get back for at least a couple of more hours, so it couldn't possibly have been her.

Instead, it was a boy that James recognized from school, with black hair and dressed in a white t-shirt and black pants. He didn't know where his parents were, so he creaked open the door to face him properly. 

"Um, can I help you?"

He was slightly taller than him, but he greeted James with a bright smile that almost blinded him.

"Uh, hi. Is Keith here?"

Before he could ask who he was, Keith appeared at his side, bits of frosting still caked over his hair. He seemed to immediately recognize the older teen.

"Shiro?"

"Oh, good! There you are. I'll be waiting at the end of the sidewalk."

Shiro turned around, and James closed the door, understanding befalling him. "Do you have to leave?"

Keith nodded, and he was already picking up the skateboard he had left on the living room floor. "Yeah. Didn't know he'd come so early though, I told him to pick me up at nine." He ran his fingers through pink strands, getting the rest of the frosting out of his hair. They hadn't even eaten their dessert.

The smile on James' face faltered, and he scratched the back of his head. He hoped his disappointment wasn't as evident in his voice. "Okay… I'll see you, I guess." Shiro was waiting for him, so he didn't want to keep him any longer than he had to.

He expected Keith to leave without another word, but at the last second, he turned to James, and placed a loose hand on his arm. "Sorry we couldn't finish it. Maybe we can some other day."

His breath brushed across James' cheek, and just like that, he parted.

The touch was over in a split second, but it still sent an electrifying buzz through James' shirt into his skin. He managed a nod, and he watched as Keith ran out the door and shut it behind him, leaving James by himself.

Wait. Who even was Shiro? His relative? His friend? But if so, why did he come pick him up and not his guardians? Maybe they were more than friends…

James looked around at his empty house, at their abandoned pastries, and his gut clenched in an unpleasant way. 

No, he didn't like that idea one bit.

He got to cleaning their mess as fast as he could, and when he was done, James plopped himself back down on his bed. His face felt warmer than before, and his heart was beating way too fast, but he knew it wasn't from adrenaline. As his mind drifted back to soft eyes and jet black hair, he had to face the undeniable truth:

He still had a crush on Keith.

xxx

James stacked a pile of textbooks in the cabinet, putting them in alphabetical order like his teacher had told him to do so. It wasn't easy work, as James wasn't the most burly type, but he didn't mind helping out every once in a while. If he didn't assist his teacher, then was he really the favorite student? James wiped his sleeve over his forehead where sweat was starting to bead. Just a few more textbooks, and he was done.

He headed over to the last box, taking some more out and putting them in his hands. He balanced them as well as he could, keeping his eyes on the top, but he should have been more careful, and he bumped into the side of a table.

"Shit," he gasped out, and the tower of books leaned over to one side. Before they could topple to the floor, another pair of steady hands helped him out.

"Huh?"

James peeked over to the mystery person, and was met with green eyes staring back at him.

"Oh. Thanks, Ry."

Taking the load of his hands, he placed the books on the shelf where they belonged, and James let out a sigh of relief.

"I was wondering where you were. I knew you'd help out Miss Juniberry when she asked for volunteers."

James grinned at his friend. "Of course. How else would I react?" He said, quite breathless.

"I hope you're not over-exerting yourself, Jay."

His tone was light and playful, but there was an undertone of concern.

"I'm fine. Taking the boxes out was the worst of it, honestly."

"How did your project with Keith go yesterday?"

James sat back on one of the desks, stretching his sore arms and legs out. He wouldn't have dared to do it if it was class time, but since school was over and they were alone, it was fine.

"It was actually… pretty nice. He drew a heart for our project. It came out really good. Then we made cinnamon rolls but we didn't get a chance to eat 'em." James smiled at the memory. He'd have to remember to give Keith his strawberry cinnamon roll before it went bad.

Ryan raised his eyebrows, and he sauntered over to James. Even with him sitting on the table, Ryan still towered over him. James was lucky the sharpie did wash out of his skin– he wasn't sure how he would have explained _that._

"Wait. Did Keith go over to _your_ house?"

"Yeah. And then this boy called Shiro came to pick him up. I don't know if they're related or not… Do you know him?"

Ryan furrowed his brows together, and it was a curious change from his usually stoic demeanor. "Did you invite him?"

"Well, no. He actually kinda invited himself over." James grinned– it was such a Keith thing to do now that he realized it.

Ryan's mouth curled into a pout, and he looked away from him. "Ah. I see."

James quirked an eyebrow at his friend. He suddenly seemed like he was upset about something, but he didn't know what. "What's wrong? You've gone to my house plenty of times before." For projects, visiting, or just to talk.

"Yeah, and I waited for you to _ask_ me if I could actually go first."

That was weird, but James shook his head, casting his gaze down to his lap. "Anyways, I don't know what I should do. I don't know if he's with Shiro or not. But... I… I think I like him."

His voice came out quieter in the last sentence. Confessing his feelings about his crushes out loud was never easy, and his heart started to beat faster in his chest.

He didn't notice the way Ryan's eyes went wide when he said it. "You _like_ Keith?"

"Yeah, I know. Please don't tell Nadia I told you, because then she'll _never_ stop teasing me." He was well aware of the relentless questions and the way she would poke fun at him when it came to his crushes, and although usually it was in good spirits, James didn't need that to make him more nervous.

Almost instantly, Ryan stepped away from the desk, and he folded his arms over his chest. "But I thought you _hated_ him!"

James stilled in his seat, and he looked up to face Ryan, who had a fire burning in his eyes. He'd _never_ heard him take on that tone of voice before, and it shocked James to the core.

"I– I mean, I guess I did, at one point," he stammered.

To his surprise, Ryan turned away from him, and James knew at that moment that something was _definitely_ wrong. Has he said something bad on accident? Was he just not listening?

"Ryan?"

His friend leaned against the teacher's desk, and he pointedly avoided James' gaze, instead staring out to the door. His brows were furrowed, and he seemed _tense._ James didn't know what was up. They had never been in a fight before, and it worried him.

"I guess if you want to know about Shiro, you should just ask him," Ryan said, and his words were clipped. He still didn't meet his eyes. "I heard Keith and Matt had a thing, though."

James felt a sharp pain in his chest.

"Matt Holt?"

He still avoided looking his way, and James' pulse was thrumming in his throat. Was he mad at him? Why wouldn't he tell him what was wrong? His anxiety was welling up at record speed inside him, and he took his bottom lip between his teeth.

"Ryan, what's _wrong?_ "

He was just about to go to his friend, or maybe walk out because it didn't seem like Ryan wanted to talk to him anymore, when the other seemed to deflate. His shoulders slumped, and he took a deep breath before walking over to James, looking a thousand times more relaxed than he had been five minutes ago. There was almost no hint on his expression to signal that he'd ever been upset in the first place.

Ryan went to stand in front of his dangling legs, and he slightly leaned forwards into his space. He didn't seem as upset anymore, so in turn, James let himself relax as well. The taller boy rested a hand on each of his sides, caging him into the desk.

James exhaled softly, then held his breath when he got closer. A sad smile formed on his lips.

"Your bangs are getting long. Might need a trim," he said, and James tucked his head in, brushing brown strands away from his face.

"Yeah," he said, and he felt blood rush to his ears. A million thoughts were racing in his head, and he wondered if the other could somehow hear them.

Ryan then took his hand in his, silencing all his questions, and his emerald eyes softened to something sadder. "I just don't want your feelings getting hurt, Jay."

Ryan was way too close, and not trusting himself to speak words, James merely nodded. His hand felt so warm against his, and he swore Ryan could hear his heartbeat racing with how close he was.

He could finally breathe when he pulled away and walked out without a goodbye.

That day, after years of being oblivious, it finally dawned on James that Ryan had romantic feelings for him.

xxx

Ryan did not walk him home that day. Although it was probably for the best, James almost wished that he had. He didn't want to stop being his friend– and he hoped Ryan didn't think things were weird between them. He'd known him for so long– maybe not as long as Keith, but he was always kind, and helpful and he offered good advice when he needed it the most. James ran nervous fingers through his fringe, and he stared down at his phone, the message app open with the name 'Ryan' glowing bright in the darkness of his room. He exited out of it. Maybe their conversation would have to wait.

xxx

James scribbled down his notes, trying his hardest to pay attention to his teacher's monotone voice and sleep tugging at his eyelids. With a test coming up, there was no time to talk to Keith, not that they ever really did in class, but his work always came before fun. Chatting during a lesson would probably get him called out too, so remaining quiet and taking notes was his best option. Keith didn't seem to do much in his notebook next to him, but it occurred to James that maybe he was just an auditory learner.

After the teacher assigned them what to read as their homework, the bell rang, and he packed his books back into his backpack. The strawberry cinnamon roll was safely tucked into his arm.

As James looked up to give it to Keith, he noticed he had already disappeared, so he more or less jogged out of the classroom to go after him. He found him walking not too far ahead.

"Hey, Keith," he announced himself, and he was pleased when Keith didn't immediately run away. Although they were talking more, he was still a bit skittish, if James was honest.

"Um, I have something for you. You didn't get to eat it at my house, so–" James extended his hand with the plastic container, and Keith glanced behind him.

He drew his eyebrows together, and he took James' wrist in his hand. "Shut up. Follow me."

"Wait, what?"

His brain struggled to catch up with what was going on, and he let himself be dragged away to an empty stairwell far away from where they had been before. He wanted to ask what was happening, but he was too preoccupied with the warmth of Keith's hand around his wrist. They went under the stairs and in the shadows, and Keith nudged him in with a hand to his chest. He tried not to cringe at the dust surrounding them.

"Keith, what are we doing?" He finally managed, not that he really minded being in a cramped space with him.

The other narrowed his gray blue eyes, and he looked over his shoulder, peeking out into the hallway. "Those assholes from the other day were listening in on us. Don't you pay attention to your surroundings?"

"Um, usually, I don't have to…"

James was practically pushed against the wall, and he noticed some old lockers and cardboard boxes squeezed against his sides. "Isn't this a big snug?" He asked, pressing himself back further so he wasn't totally in Keith's space. He could also smell the firewood scent of Keith's clothes.

"What do you mean?" Keith turned to him, and he didn't miss the way he licked those cherry-red lips. "Is that for me?

James bowed his head, and he fiddled with the container with the cinnamon roll inside. "Ah– yeah, um, my mom put in a fork there for you too."

He handed it over, and a tiny, blessed smile spread on Keith's face. "Thanks."

James didn't have to look in a mirror to know that he was blushing.

Keith opened his bag, and he stuffed the treat inside carefully, to not mush it against the papers thrown inside. James almost forgot what he had wanted to ask him.

"Weren't you going to say something?"

"Oh! Uh, yes–um. About the other day. Who… was that guy that picked you up?"

Keith arched an eyebrow at him, like he'd been expecting something else. "Shiro?"

Ah. Yes, how could he have forgotten? Now for the hard part. He squeezed his hands together so they wouldn't tremble, and he looked at anywhere but Keith's eyes. "You guys aren't like… together or, or anything, right? I mean, I saw the way he was looking at you, and –"

A bark of laughter stopped his rambling, and James's eyebrows shot up into his hairline when Keith kept laughing, and he flushed even more. "What? What is it?"

His mouth contracted into a pout, and when Keith finally caught his breath, he straightened up to look at James directly. "Shiro isn't my boyfriend, he's my best friend! And I do _not_ like him like that."

"Oh. I– I didn't know!" He crossed his arms over his chest, embarrassed that he'd been so wrong. How was he supposed to know? Shiro wasn't bad looking– it could have been possible!

Keith giggled some more, and all James could do was stand there like a fool. He should have eaten his cinnamon, roll, damn it.

"You're such a dork," He said, and James exhaled tiredly, although his stomach had other ideas and it started doing somersaults. After a minute or so when Keith came down from his laughing fit, he leaned forwards, and his hooded eyes stared into James'.

"Why did you want to know, anyway? Curious much?" His tone was playful, but God if it didn't send James' heart racing a million miles an hour. He felt Keith's arm brush against the wall next to him, keeping him in place.

"Um, one of my friends wanted to know," James lied through his teeth, but he knew Keith saw right through it in the way he narrowed his eyes.

"Did they?"

"Obviously," he forced out.

"You're a terrible liar, you know that, Griffin?"

James was so thankful he was against a hard surface supporting him, because otherwise his knees would have buckled right under him right then and there. Keith was so close– and he smelled so good, and it made him dizzy in a way he loved.

He wanted to tell him the truth– that he liked him a lot, and he was leaning closer into his space, but then out of nowhere the bell made them jump away from each other, shattering the moment into pieces.

Shit.

He was late!

"Fuck, I have to go," James said, and he slung his backpack over his shoulder, squeezing past Keith as he headed for the door.

A strong hand fisted itself in his shirt. "Wait!"

As James turned his head, Keith's expression changed into something more uncertain, and he bit the side of his lip.

"...Can't you stay?"

He said it so softly, so quietly, and James wanted to do nothing more than say yes. But his eyes darted to the clock above them, and he let out a sigh. "I can't. I'm sorry."

"Maybe later?"

James' lips quirked into a smile.

"Later," he agreed.

xxx

Of course, James couldn't keep his crush secret for any longer than he wanted to, and eventually, Nadia and Ina caught on to his abnormal behavior, with his constant uplifted mood and increased tardies. They'd cornered him during PE class one day, and made him tell them what was going on, and who it _was_. James didn't even get a chance to answer.

"It's Keith, isn't it! What did I tell you, Ina, huh?! I totally called it! I knew you had a massive crush on him!!"

"Can you keep your voice down?" James hissed, and he cast a wary glance at the rest of their class. They were pretty occupied with their stretches and talking with their friends, but he really didn't need half of their student body to know about his feelings for Keith.

Nadia squeezed herself into the seat next to him on the bleachers, squishing James into a sandwich between her and Ina. Her eyes glinted excitedly in the afternoon light. "So tell us all the deets! Did you talk to him yet? This is so romantic!"

James blushed at the words, and he rubbed a hand over his nose to hide it. "I have. He's been coming to my house to work on our anatomy project, but that's basically the extent that we've been hanging out."

Ina smiled at him, and even _she_ looked thrilled about him having a crush. "You should ask him out, or at least tell him how you feel," she suggested.

James dug his fingers into his gym shorts, and he tensed. "I don't know if I'm ready for that yet." Although he was certain that he liked Keith, that was such a big step, and it made the anxiety in him bubble to the surface.

A hand ruffled his hair, and Nadia put it on his shoulder. "It's okay, Jamie, you shouldn't rush it if you don't feel like you're ready yet." Well, _that_ was the last thing he expected for her to say, but it did help James relax. "Do you think he likes you?"

Grinning to himself, James thought hard about the question. He didn't mind the way Nadia and Ina stared at him, eagerly awaiting for the answer. "Maybe…" He whispered.

"Oh, I can't wait to go to your wedding!" Nadia exclaimed, and she closed her eyes dreamily as if she was picturing it. It only made his face burn hotter, and he ducked his head.

"Have you told Ryan yet?"

James felt like someone had dropped a bucket of cold water over his head.

"What?"

"He's definitely going to want to know, don't you think? He's gonna be so happy to hear about you two!"

The words made his skin prickle uncomfortably, and he hugged himself to rub the sensation away. _Ryan._ Each time he thought about when they last spoke, a knot tightened itself in James' stomach, and he didn't know what to do about it.

"Um– Ryan, he… he didn't take the news well," he said, digging his fingernails into his forearms.

Noticing the change in tone, Nadia furrowed her eyebrows, and she kneeled down to look at him better. "What? Why not, James?" She pried softly, concern painting her features.

Just then, at the worst possible moment, James flicked his eyes up to see Ryan across the field, clad in his baseball uniform and already staring back at him. His breath hitched in his throat.

"I… excuse me for a second," James breathed out, and he stood up from the crowded bleachers, holding himself tightly. He only heard Nadia and Ina make a few protests, but he didn't stop, body tense and needing to be _anywhere_ else.

Fuck, were all the other students looking at him? He felt like his head was spinning, and the sounds and conversations around him quieted down, like they were listening in, or they were watching him leave. Was that just a coincidence? He brought his hands up to his chest, squeezing his hands together anxiously, and then carded them through his sweaty fringe. He needed to be alone– or maybe go back to his gym locker and wash up– _fuck_ , why had he left his stress toy in his locker? 

James ran his fingers down his face, still walking aimlessly, and the next second a force to his side pushed him back with a grunt.

"Fuck, I'm sorry–!" God, couldn't he even watch where he was going? He steadied himself on his feet, and he realized a pair of grey-blue eyes were looking back at him. "– Keith?"

James wiped the back of his palm over his eye, finding it wet there. When had he started tearing up? "You're skipping class?" He said, voice slightly wavering and rough around the edges.

Keith frowned at him, like that wasn't the most important issue at hand, and then looked him up and down. "James? What's wrong?" His expression softened, and James dipped his head.

"I'm sorry," James apologised, although he didn't know for what. "It's nothing. I was just, with Nadia, and Ina, and then– " his breath caught in his throat, and he took a shuddering breath in to calm himself.

"Did someone do this to you?" Keith rasped, slightly leaning down so he could look at his face. "You don't look good."

James shook his head, and he rubbed at his eyes some more when the world in front of him turned blurry. Did Ryan hate him now, because he didn't return his feelings? Were they ever going to talk again? He couldn't imagine what his life would become if that happened, and it only stabbed at his heart some more, filling him with nausea and making him dizzy.

His breath hitched again, and Keith, patient as ever, didn't pry anymore.

"Maybe there's something that could help?" He said quietly.

xxx

James couldn't believe they were doing this. The locker room doors were supposed to be locked at all times when the students weren't there, and here both of them were, breaking in to get his stupid stress toy. He definitely wasn't worth it, and they were probably going to get in trouble because of him, but it didn't deter Keifh from picking the lock with expertise.

When they got inside, James put his locker combination in with shaky fingers, and he finally got the little cube that he'd been so anxious to get his hands on.

It was a huge relief, playing with the little buttons and handles and switches, and James gradually felt himself relax as he focused all his attention on it.

Sitting on the bench with it now, he almost felt ridiculous, and embarrassed he'd even had to ask Keith to help him with such a weird thing. He didn't seem to judge him at all for it, though– and that did well to ease some of his nerves.

"We should get back before they notice we're gone," James muttered, fiddling with a knob on one of the sides.

Keith glanced at the door and then back at him, his mouth pulling into a pout. "They can wait. We can stay longer if you want. Plus, it's not like _I_ ever cared about skipping class," he joked dryly.

"Thanks…" James sighed, and he hung his head.

He only wondered what Ryan and his other friends were thinking of him now– of how he had up and left without much of an explanation, leaving them alone to figure it out for themselves. Would Nadia and Ina be mad at him, too, after this?

"I can tell you're thinking too hard about this," Keith piped up, and James shot his head up to look at him. He didn't stop him when Keith sat down on the bench next to him.

"Oh. Sorry…"

Keith crossed his arms, and they fell into another bout of silence. After three or four minutes, he spoke again.

"Look… I'm not really the best at comforting people, but if you need to say something… y'know. I'm here," he offered.

James sniffed, and he smiled at Keith's sweetness. He was very clearly trying his best, and he appreciated it.

A beat of consideration passed, and James wiped at his eyes, clearing his throat softly. "Um… It was just one of my friends," he said, as flippantly as he could manage. "He likes me but… I don't return his feelings, I guess."

Keith's eyebrow quirked upwards, as he kept listening intently at what he had to say.

"I saw him out on the field, but, I don't know if he'd want to talk to me. I feel like he doesn't think I want to be friends with him anymore, which is absolutely not true." James sighed, remembering Ryan's piercing gaze. They were intense, and saddened, along with something else he couldn't decipher. James felt significantly better now that he'd gotten all of it off his chest, and he took a deep breath. But Keith didn't say anything next to him– fuck, had he said too much?

"I'm sorry for rambling," James said quickly, muffled by the hands dragged over his face.

There was no "it's okay" from Keith, and instead, he scooted closer to him on the bench. 

He watched him attentively, chewing on his bottom lip, and his words were careful when he spoke. "So, what do you plan to do?"

James exhaled, and he distantly realized that he'd finally calmed down. "I… I don't know," he said honestly, and he pushed the buttons on the stress toy, twisting around the small handles like it was second nature. His thoughts about his problems were already drifting away with his anxiety as he played with the toy. "Thanks for getting this for me," he said quietly, and he focused his gaze on the floor.

"Sure thing," Came Keith's reply.

Without thinking too much about it, James leaned his head to the right, and rested it on Keith's shoulder. The other only tensed for a second under him, before he relaxed and James realized what he was doing. Keith didn't shift away, so he took it as a good sign, and didn't move either.

He actually felt quite sleepy now that they were together, probably a result of all his crying, or maybe Keith just had that much of a calming effect on him. Nevertheless, it made a warmth bloom inside him, and he was grateful that Keith was next to him.

xxx

James pushed his glasses up his nose, as he turned the page of his textbook, letting the words sink into his memory for later.

He hadn't been able to study as much with all of his days spent working on their project with Keith, so it left him to do it in between classes and after school. Usually, it was something Ryan and he did together when they got the chance, but Ryan was tricky, and he avoided James throughout the day like he was the plague. Today would be different, though.

He stayed extra long after his student council meeting was over to wait for Ryan to be done with photography club. He had tried to leave before or after James had finished with his own clubs, but he wouldn't miss him this time.

When he noticed the familiar figure walking in the direction of their homes, James sprung to his feet, and he stuffed his book inside his backpack.

He ran to catch up with his long strides.

"Ryan!" He called out, and after a second, the other stopped, turning around at the sound of his voice.

It was only for a moment though, and when he saw him, he adjusted the duffel bag on his shoulder, and kept on walking, briskly in a way that showed he was still upset.

James felt his heart sink at the action, and he stopped in the middle of the street, taking in harsh breaths. This was his best friend– why wouldn't he listen to him? Did he already think their friendship was over?

"Ryan!" He called again, but it was in vain.

A rush of frustration surged through his veins.

"So, what? You're just not gonna talk to me?!" He knew taunting was childish, but Ryan's shoulders hunched at his words, and he knew it hurt.

Following him would get him nowhere– but James found that he couldn't anyway, with his legs not wanting to move from place. Tears were already starting to well up in his eyes– when had he become such a crybaby?

His hands tightened into fists, and he clenched his jaw shut. He knew this had been a bad idea.

After a minute or two, a trace of a shadow loomed over him, and he drew his gaze up to stare at Ryan, standing a few feet away from him. His hooded eyes were sad and apologetic.

"I'm sorry, Jay," he whispered.

James blinked his tears away, and his eyes fixed on his chest, too afraid to look at him. It was easy, with the other being so tall.

"I– I don't want to stop being friends, Ryan," He said pathetically, and he was thankful his voice didn't break. "I like studying and walking home together. I like it when we talk. Please don't ignore me again," he pleaded.

He thought Ryan was going to turn around and walk away, when he dropped his duffel bag to the ground unexpectedly. He took a step towards him, and James quickly wiped at the tears forming at the corner of his eye.

"Can I hug you?"

Ryan hummed what sounded like a yes, and James didn't hesitate in burying his head into the other's torso. 

Instantly, Ryan melted into his embrace, and he held his arms around him just as tightly. The minty smell of the jacket was comforting, as well as the body heat radiating from Ryan. The nice moment was short lived, though, as he was gently pushed back, large hands on his shoulders.

"James. Look at me."

Violet eyes met green, and James held his breath.

Ryan batted his dark eyelashes and he furrowed his brows. "You like him a lot, don't you?" It wasn't a question.

His lips pressed into a thin line, and James felt a pang of guilt at the heartbreak in his eyes.

He wanted to shrink in on himself, or let the earth swallow him up whole from underneath him, just to avoid seeing the hurt written all over his face. He wished he could lie to him, but they both already knew his answer.

James nodded. "I have for a while now," he said quietly, looking down at his jacket.

Ryan closed his eyes, and he took a deep breath, letting the information wash over him, like he'd been hearing it for the first time. When he opened them again, there was the same pain, but he hid it well.

"I understand."

The older moved away from him, and panic quickly settled in James' gut.

"Ryan?"

He froze when a hand came up to his face to brush some stray hairs away, but it was over before James could fully process it.

"I do wish you liked me back, Jay. But really I just hope you're happy," he said earnestly.

His face darkened with a faint blush, and James could only imagine his own looked the same. He said the statement so honestly– it made James feel like he could finally breathe again, and he offered him a small smile that Ryan happily mirrored. When he didn't make a move to talk again, an arm playfully wrapped around his shoulders.

"Now, come on. We can't let you go failing that test, can we?"

James laughed wetly, and he shook his head. "Miss Juniberry would have my head."

"Nah, she likes you too much, I think."

"I guess that's the perks of turning in my essays on time, unlike you."

He didn't mind when Ryan nudged him in the arm in retaliation. "You're a punk, Jamie."

xxx

After several days of hard work and Keith coming over to his house, the day of their project presentation soon came and went.

They had spent hours upon hours on their poster, and, maybe some were spent doing less-than-academic activities, but James thought they had done a pretty good job.

He was still extremely nervous to get their grade back, but when they did, he and Keith were over the moon to see that they had received their first 'A' of the marking period.

Even if James had to do all of the talking because Keith didn't like talking in front of crowds, and they got points taken off because of it, James found that he didn't care– and he loved that they had accomplished something together after so long. 

The rush of seeing Keith's smiling face after they heard the news was exhilarating, and James hoped they would have another project to work on soon. He enjoyed when Keith came over to his house, and he didn't want it to stop. Maybe he could come over even if it wasn't for an assignment!

Of course, they had to celebrate their hard-earned success, and at the end of their first period class, Keith slipped him a little piece of paper as they were leaving.

James looked down at the location scribbled there in messy handwriting.

Before hanging out with Keith became a daily thing, he'd never dream of going up to the rooftop unprompted, but the other boy just had a way of making him do things nowadays.

When he opened the door that led to the roof, he was met with a strong breeze, and Keith, sitting near the ledge waiting for him. He was munching on some popcorn out of a bag, presumably their celebration snack. A large grin spread on his face when he saw him.

"What did I tell you?" Keith said, smugness practically radiating off him. "I told you my poster idea was going to work." 

The comment didn't bother James as much as it should have, because he was still too happy about their grade. He rolled his eyes in faux annoyance. "Yeah, yeah, you've already told me five times today, you can stop rubbing it in," he joked, and went to sit down next to him.

"I'll stop when you admit I have better ideas than you."

A scandalized gasp escaped his lips, and Keith chuckled.

"Like your idea of combining glitter glue and hot glue to make ultra super glue?" He jabbed.

"That _would_ have worked, if you weren't such a coward all the time!"

"I was _not_ letting you mess up my office supplies, Keith." He knew how important they were to him!

The other huffed petulantly, and a piece of popcorn was thrown over his head.

"You're a terrible shot, Keith." He giggled.

"And you're such a nerd." There was no heat to it, and Keith let his head fall to his shoulder. It filled James' stomach with butterflies when he snuggled closer. This thing– casually touching each other– was becoming a daily occurrence, and James was thrilled that Keith was getting more comfortable around him. It was a fact James currently loved to revel in.

Keith suddenly leaned forward and James missed his body heat. "Oh! That reminds me!"

He extended his arm to grab his backpack, and unzipped it unceremoniously, searching for something inside. After a second or two of digging, he pulled out a small crinkled flower, with round petals the color of the sunset. James momentarily wondered how it hadn't gotten squished inside his bag.

"This is for you," Keith said, and he held it up to James in his pale hand.

James' brain almost short-circuited.

"F-for me?"

Was he being serious?

Keith's face was dusted pink in a way that it usually never was, and he could see that he _was_ serious.

James took the flower in his hand, shy and his nerves lighting afire all at once. It smelled sweet when he brought it to his nose, and Keith scratched the back of his head. "I tried to get your favorite, but I didn't know what it was, so…"

He was clearly nervous about the gift, and James put a stop to all his worries and doubts.

"I love it. Thank you, Keith."

Keith turned to him with a wide smile, all teeth and red-faced, and a wave of affection surged through James. The other boy was too cute for his own good. And he couldn't believe Keith had thought of giving him a _flower_ for the special occasion. Surely friends didn't do that, right? That was… stuff you did with someone you liked. _Boyfriend_ stuff.

Perhaps it was just wishful thinking, and maybe Keith really was just a softy, but it gave him the idea that maybe Keith liked him back.

James held the gift in both hands, admiring its pretty, vibrant color. He didn't miss the way Keith glanced down at his mouth.

"Anyways, um– I'll see you tonight at the festival?"

Keith stood up from his place next to him, and he gave him the rest of the popcorn. He didn't know why he had to leave so soon, but his promise of seeing James later kept him excited, so he nodded.

"See you there."

xxx

The spring festival was something everyone in their little town looked forward to– some more than others. It was an event that took place at night, filled with crowds and food and puppet shows loved by the younger kids and families. James loved it too. Every year he went with Nadia and Ryan and Ina, and they had the best time.

Originally, he'd thought Keith would have been revulsed by the idea of going, but he had been surprised when he said his father had always gone with him to tend to their ramen stand he owned before he died. Despite the crowds that he hated, the festival was a soft spot for Keith. And now James could go with him too. Needless to say, it was very exciting for him.

James ran a brush through his hair in the mirror, untangling the strands at the back of his head. His mom had gifted him a new yukata this year, a blue one with cyan and white accents, and he was eternally grateful for it. He had suspicions her generosity had something to do with Keith, though– his mom had never turned a blind eye to any of James' crushes.

When she was done fussing with how the yukata looked on him, she finally let him leave with an added 'Don't come home too late!' as he was walking out the front door. He promised that he wouldn't.

James walked towards the familiar red and yellow lanterns leading to the festival, where others were already starting to gather. He wondered if Nadia and Ina or Ryan were already there, since Nadia always loved to be the first to get her hands on the big pretzels. He hoped they would at least save some for him.

A hand tapped his shoulder, and James spun his head around to see– nobody?

Taking a second glance behind his other shoulder, he was greeted with jet black hair, and Keith smiling at him mischievously.

The yukata he had picked out was beautiful– a brilliant, crimson color decorated with gold accents, and he thought it fit him perfectly. He noticed his hair was also styled in an updo– intricately braided with red pins and a white lily that made him look extra pretty, and almost delicate. James immediately felt heat rush to his face when he saw him.

"You look really nice."

It took him an embarrassing five seconds to realize that _he_ hadn't said those words out loud.

"Wait, what? I mean– thank you. You look nice too. Much better than I do, honestly. I just look… fine." He rubbed the back of his neck, and the blush on his face only intensified. God, seeing Keith dressed in nice clothes really turned him into an eloquent speaker, didn't he? James cringed at himself, but Keith only chuckled at him good naturedly.

"Thank you."

James peeked behind his shoulder, suddenly overcome by nervousness. Talking to normal Keith with his crush was getting easier every day, but yukata Keith? He was on a whole different level and James was only human.

"Um, are you here with someone?"

Sure, they had planned to meet at the festival, but that didn't mean Keith couldn't bring a plus-one or date with him. Not that he ever talked about who he liked anyways, but it didn't hurt to ask.

Keith shot him a confused look, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared.

Before James had a chance to question it, he interlocked their elbows playfully. "I'm here with you now, aren't I?"

"Oh– okay."

James shut his lips before he could say something else embarrassing, and his heart beat faster in his chest. Keith was so warm at his side compared to the cool night air, and he could smell the flowery shampoo that he liked so much. James couldn't complain when Keith led the way and brought them to a churro stand. Where was Ina and Nadia?

The sweet smell of sugar and other snacks wafted through the air, filling James's lungs and making his mouth water.

"You hungry yet?" Keith asked. "I wanted to get some cake but they don't have a stand for it this year." His lips jutted into a pout, and James smiled.

"I could go for some ice cream instead," He said. "It's the way better dessert, if you ask me."

"You're insane, Jamie."

James grinned when he shot him an offended look, but he squeezed his arm tighter. "...I bet I could get us some free cones with some persuading."

"Don't let me stop you." Even if his persuading methods were probably less than civilized, who was he to deny free food?

Keith smirked at him, and he let go of his arm. "Wait here, okay? I'm pretty sure Hunk brought some with him, cuz I just saw him ten minutes ago. Won't be long," he rasped, and he turned on his heel at high speed to go find him, leaving James by the stand.

Goosebumps erupted over James's skin, and he felt warm all over because of his touch. He almost couldn't believe that they were doing this– casually hanging out and getting food together on a beautiful night. It was almost too good to be true.

"JAMIE!"

The loud screech sent a jolt through James, and he would have jumped were it not for two arms coming to hug him from behind.

He didn't need to look to know it was Nadia, smug and laughing at having scared him.

"God, you almost gave me a heart attack!" He complained, and he smoothed down his new, wrinkled yukata.

"Yeah, and it was _hilarious_ ," she shot back, which earned her a disapproving look from Ryan behind her. They were all wearing their own yukatas in various shades of green, yellow, and pink.

Had they been watching him the whole time?

"It was not that funny," Ina commented, but it was quickly brushed off with a wave of Nadia's hand. She rolled her eyes at the youngest of the trio.

"Anyway, we saw you and Keith _talking_. You guys getting all chummy now? Have you stolen his heart yet?" Nadia teased, pulling James close with an arm around his neck. He bit his bottom lip, face going hot.

"Um…"

"He'll tell us if he wants to, Nadia." Came Ryan's voice from behind. "Don't push him."

God bless Ryan and his kindness. Nadia let out an indignant whine, clearly having hoped for some juicy details about their relationship.

"It's fine– he was just going to get us food," James offered.

"In that case, let's go get ramen next– Romelle saw some cute boys around the fountain eating some! I've been waiting all night to _flaunt_ my new yukata."

James wrung his hands together in consideration. As much as he wanted to join his friends..."I think I should really wait for Keith first..."

Nadia winked at him, and she nudged him in the arm in understanding. "Okay, Jamie! You'll know where to find us. Make sure to give him a kiss for me!" She exclaimed gleefully, and walked away with a bounce. Ina and Ryan followed her in the direction of said fountain.

"Good luck, Jay," he heard Ryan whisper in his ear at the last moment.

James only wrapped his arms around himself shyly. It would be the first time he would hang out with Keith outside of school and his home– so the night was completely unpredictable. He would definitely need it.

He sat down next to a cherry tree, watching as younger kids ran by with lanterns in hand, heading to the next puppet show. Would Keith like to do that, too? He'd have to ask. The other couldn't come back soon enough.

xxx

"Thanks, Hunk," Keith said, as the older scooped vanilla ice cream into two cones.

Hunk had always helped his pop and him with the ramen stand when he was alive, and the older was still generous enough to give him free food whenever he attended the festival. He didn't question as to who the other cone was for, but he waved Keith goodbye with a toothy smile after giving him the ice cream.

Keith stared at the cones as he carefully made his way to the back of the line.

He probably should have asked James which flavor he'd wanted beforehand, so he hoped vanilla was alright. He didn't have allergies that he'd miraculously forgotten in all the years they'd known each other, did he? Was vanilla something people were allergic to?

He was pulled out of his wandering thoughts when a warm, towering figure pressed himself against his back, and a familiar scent of honeysuckle reached his nose.

"Hey, spitfire. That for me?"

A hand held one of the cones up to a mouth, and half of the ice cream was devoured in seconds. Matt's stupid face smirked down at him when he pulled back– or, Keith more or less pushed him back with a gasp.

"No, it's not! Shove off, will you?!" He tried to elbow him angrily while still holding the cone, but Matt giggled when he couldn't.

His long hair was pulled into a ponytail in its usual fashion, messy bronze bangs framing his face. He looked pretty much the same since he'd last seen him– except for the orange yukata he wore over his slim body.

Matt licked the remaining ice cream off his lips with a grin. "Alright, alright, don't get all defensive, Keith!" He put his hands up in false surrender, and Keith watched as the rest of the cream dripped down his hand.

At least he could give the other one to James.

"I don't really wanna talk to you right now," Keith muttered annoyedly with a huff, but it didn't stop Matt from chuckling at his words.

"Why not? Don't you miss me, spitfire? I haven't seen you in school as much, anymore." His voice sounded dejected, but Keith knew teasing when he heard it. A hand curled into his nape, stroking at the hair there. It felt good.

But his attention was still focused on the ruined ice cream cone, and how James was waiting for him. "I guess," he said, and he brought his hand to his mouth to lick away at the melting ice cream there.

Noticing his distractedness, Matt circled around him to face him better. "Who's that for, anyway?" He said, curiously.

"James."

A look of surprise painted Matt's features, bewildered like he couldn't believe it. "No way. You don't mean _Griffin,_ right?"

The tone in which he said his name was odd, and Keith shot him a quizzical look.

Matt threw his head back to bark out a laugh, after Keith made no comment. "Dude, that guy is the _worst!_ Why are you hanging out with him? He's so bossy, and he always thinks he's such _hot shit_ because he gets the highest grades in class."

Keith contorted his face into a scowl, not liking how he was talking about James. " _I_ don't think he's like that."

Matt only shook his head with a grin. "No, seriously. And he spends like, all his free time doing homework or whatever, like he _doesn't_ go outside. I don't think he's ever experienced fun before." He laughed at his own joke, and Keith felt a flare of anger course through his chest.

" _Don't_ talk about him like that."

Matt didn't seem to care about his vexation, and he only leaned against him some more. "Why, cuz he's gonna get _angry?_ I'd love to see _that._ "

He lightly pulled on the sleeve of his yukata, motioning Keith to come forwards. Those brown eyes turned hooded in a way he knew meant trouble. "Anyways, come play a game or two with me. I heard they put some new ones out this year."

That certainly sparked some interest in Keith, but he quickly shut it down. "I… can't. James is waiting for me."

"But we almost never hang out!" Matt whined.

"That's a lie, and you know it."

"Come on, spitfire. Do this one thing for me. There won't be a second chance!" He pleaded. His brown eyes were big and puppy-like, but the smirk tugging on his lips reminded Keith of a fox.

Although Keith _did_ often hang out with Matt (when he wasn't hanging with James or Shiro) he had to admit he had a point– it wasn't everyday that the town held the spring festival. And even less that they went together. Since Matt was always busy working in his dad's lab, he often stayed at home to help him out.

"I'll even win you a prize," Matt said with an arched eyebrow. How was Keith going to say no? He glanced down at the two ice cream cones and pondered.

" _One_ game, okay? Let's make it quick."

Matt happily led the way with a hand on his shoulder. "Anything you say, Keith."

xxx

James drummed his fingers against his lap, watching as another person in a red yukata passed by– but it wasn't Keith. He took another sip from his iced coffee, but he found that the cup was almost empty. His friend Adam had given it to him when he'd said he looked quote unquote "miserable", but honestly, he didn't know if the caffeine was making his anxiety any better. How long has it been since Keith left him alone to get them ice cream? Ten minutes? Twenty minutes? James wasn't sure because he hadn't brought his watch with him, but he was sure it was close to an hour, and it was getting ridiculous. Perhaps Keith had just gotten lost somewhere– and James needed to go find him.

He threw the iced coffee cup into a nearby recycling bin, and walked in the direction of the other food stands. They were all lined up and stretching across the festival, and around the puppet shows. James recognized the smell of popcorn, pretzels, and a variety of sweets. He finally made it to the ice cream one, which was draped in a green covering. He approached the man there, who wore a big yellow apron and sported a big smile. James looked over the tall counter.

"Excuse me. Have you seen a boy around my age, black hair and in a red yukata? His name is Keith."

He seemed to know who he was, because the man's eyebrows shot up at the name. "Keith? Oh yeah– he was here not too long ago. I think he went to the arcade."

That was enough for him. "Okay, thank you."

The man waved him goodbye with a smile, and James headed in the direction of where he'd said. There were so many people– he wondered how he was going to find him in such a crowd.

James squeezed himself through the entrance of the arcade, making sure not to step on anyone's feet.

He rounded the corner, and just then– Keith came into view, still clad in his crimson outfit and flower in his hair. He was facing away, hunched overone of the many games, and someone else was with him.

Matt Holt.

James stopped where he was, not sure if he should move closer and intrude on the two. Matt was against his side, and they were laughing together about something– he noticed how his hand was at the small of his back, gentle but at the same time possessive.

James felt a pang of _something_ in his chest at seeing the small action. Ryan had mentioned how they had been a thing before, and now they were here, together? Had Keith really just left him, like an afterthought?

The idea made him swallow heavily– Okay. No. Keith wouldn't do that, would he? Maybe he has just forgotten, and James was absolutely overreacting. Nobody was perfect. And Keith was just with his friend, right? It was nothing.

He wanted to walk up to them and say something, but the idea didn't sit well in James's stomach at all. He actually didn't know Matt very personally at all– he had only seen his face once or twice in the hallway, and he wasn't sure if he could go up to him, while he was with Keith. And while he was holding him, very closely, like they were a couple. _Were they…?_

James squeezed his palms together, and he took a deep breath, hiding himself against the wall so he wouldn't be seen.

This was okay. Keith had just forgotten. He'd remember about James– and maybe they could enjoy the rest of the evening together like they'd planned. No big deal.

A voice that he recognized as Matt's carried across the room to where James was.

"See, aren't you glad you came with me instead? And I _told_ you I'd win you a prize."

A chuckle and then a grunt came from Keith's lips. "Just shut up and pay attention to your character if you want to win again," he said with a laugh.

James' throat tightened and he felt his mouth go dry. He felt like someone was clawing at his heart, trying to rip it to pieces in his chest, and it was nerve-wracking. He sighed, fidgeting with his fingers at the hem of his sleeve. _It was fine_ , he repeated to himself, but he didn't quite believe it.

He would just go back to Ina and Nadia, wherever they were, and hang out with them instead. Yes. He could endure the teasing about Keith, as long as he wasn't alone. There. That was his plan.

Forcing himself to not take another look at Keith and Matt, he rounded the corner, and started looking for his friends.

He didn't make it five feet away.

"Hey, Griffin."

James froze in his spot, and stared up at the brown eyes and scarred face standing in front of him.

"Matt?!" But, how– ?

"Long time no see," The taller said, an amused glint sparkling in his eyes. "Hey– did you get shorter from the last time I saw you?"

James' face flushed, but he didn't get a chance to defend himself. "I didn't –"

"That's great. Um, so what I actually wanted to say is– you weren't spying on Keith and I, were you?" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, but he talked like he already knew the answer.

James felt his stomach fill with dread. Fuck. Had he really been that careless? How?! He stuttered, trying to unsuccessfully come up with a lie. "I– I wasn't, I was just trying to– I saw you guys, but only–"

"Hey, save your breath– I know what you were doing," Matt said, so casually that it made James wary. "Want to come and talk about it?"

He didn't really get much of a choice, because the other quickly led the way with a hand across his shoulders, using his height advantage over James. He wasn't sure he welcomed the touch.

He walked them to a more secluded area, by the old vending machines people didn't use, where Matt finally let him go. "So, let's cut to the chase." He said, and he pulled out some spare change.

James knitted his eyebrows together. "I don't know if there's anything to talk about," he muttered, while Matt bought himself a drink. By the look of his face, he knew he didn't believe him.

He chuckled lightly and he stood back up after getting his soda from the bottom of the machine. "You think? Anyways– I _know_ you like Keith."

James' body tensed at the statement– at the _fact_ , and his breath caught in his lungs. 

Immediately, a million questions sprung to mind. Did he figure it out himself? Or did somebody else tell him? James bit his lip, feeling every muscle in his body going rigid. "...How did you know?"

Matt's eyes rolled to the sky as he took a sip of his cherry soda. "You're not exactly subtle, Griffin," he chuckled. "I'm surprised _you_ sound so surprised– I'm pretty sure _everyone_ knows."

James ducked his head, and his face warmed at his words. How had he been so obvious? He was so certain he had kept the secret between him and his close group of friends. He was afraid to ask the next question. "Does Keith know too?"

Matt put his soda down, and his face twisted into something incredulous, and then serious. "Yeah. I'm pretty sure he knows."

James' heart thrummed against his rib cage, and he ran nervous fingers through his hair. God. What was he going to say to him at school, if he already knew? Was Keith ever planning on bringing it up?

Matt seemed to sense his nervousness, because he stepped towards him, putting both hands on his shoulders. "Hey, it's okay. You guys have been hanging out like normal, right? Going on little dates around the school and the rooftop?"

That caught James' attention, and he looked back up at amber eyes. "What?"

Matt licked his lips, and his mouth twitched, like he was trying not to smile. "Oh, so you _have_? Did he get you a flower too, and tell you that he didn't know what his favorite was?"

James blinked at the other, and he took a step back, his brain having to reset at the information. "Wh… How did– ? Did Keith tell you all of that?" What was going on?

Matt sighed long and hard like he had to explain something again to a child that wasn't listening. "So you didn't know…"

An ugly feeling in his gut told him something was wrong. Why was he acting like he had a terrible secret? "Know what? I don't understand…"

Matt ran a hand through his unruly bangs, and he looked towards the sky, like he was choosing his words carefully. His eyes pierced into James when he brought them back down, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know the secret anymore. 

"Listen. Griffin. I know you like Keith, but you have to know he does that to a lot of guys," he said, voice quiet and every word making all the air leave James' lungs. "He did it to me, too. That's how I know, okay? Don't think you're special just because of one little gift," he chuckled, like he was telling a joke.

James felt like he had been turned to stone– unable to move or even breathe as he listened to Matt go on.

"He's just playing with you, okay? I know when he's serious about someone and when he's not. If you knew him like I did, you'd know that he's definitely not. So don't think whatever he tells you means anything to him, because it doesn't."

Matt was staring down at him like a kid, brows furrowed as he crushed James' heart into a million little pieces. He actually looked _concerned_ for him, and James felt like he was going to throw up all over himself. He didn't know what to say.

Matt's long arm wrapped around his shoulders again, and he was pulled in close to his body. He felt like a ragdoll being toyed with for fun, and he froze when he whispered lowly in his ear.

_"Between you and me, I'd stop talking to him altogether and leave him alone. Because he's mine. So don't get any ideas."_

He pulled away with a pat to his back, and James could only stand there, almost lifelessly, as he walked away from him with a wicked grin spread across his face.

The food from earlier churned in his stomach, threatening to rise as bile, and for a minute James actually thought he was going to be sick. Everything that Keith had told him was just to mess with him. Like he was some joke, and just another heart to be played with. And Matt had proved it. How stupid did he have to be, to think that he actually like him back? It was almost too much for him to bear.

His breaths came out sharp and laboured, and James leaned forward, clutching at his collar, to attempt to catch his breath. He pulled out his stress toy out of his hidden pocket, but it fell after it fumbled in his hands. Tears distorted his vision, and he covered his mouth, so his sobs wouldn't be heard by anyone else. Regardless, a few wandering heads turned in his direction, and he felt like the world was crumbling around him. Maybe it was.

James immediately ran back to the fountain, until he found his friends talking in a group, happy and giggling over some joke he hadn't heard. He didn't waste any time when he saw Ryan, and right away he buried his face into his chest, letting out hiccups between his sobs.

"James?" Came the alarmed voice above him when he saw what state he was in. "What happened? What's wrong?"

He couldn't even tell him through his hitched cries.

xxx

Ryan had walked him home early during the festival, giving him much needed words of comfort after letting him cry into his chest for a while, and James was extremely grateful for it. He had apologized for ruining the nice outfit he had worn, but Ryan didn't think anything of it, and he just made sure he got enough hugs after finding out what Keith had done. It broke his heart, too.

James didn't know if he could face him in school again, and he debated staying home the next day. His heart felt absolutely shattered, and he wasn't ready.

Ryan told him that he would take his notes for him if he needed to, but in the end he decided against it. James wasn't a baby– he could power through one heartbreak, right?

Wrong.

He spent the next day feeling absolutely miserable– and he knew everyone around him could tell. Luckily he didn't come across Matt again, because he avoided walking through the hallways in his usual route as much as he could without being late. It cost him a few tardies, but that was honestly the least of his problems at the moment. He was snappish, and rude, and his tears welled up in his eyes every time he thought about the subject of his affections.

Keith skipped their first period that day, so it wasn't until James' lunch period when he saw him again. Of course, Keith was skipping that time, too, as he was supposed to be in Algebra.

He startled when he felt fingers run through his hair– a habit that Keith had picked up to make James pout and him laugh when he messed it up. But he didn't feel like laughing today, and he batted the hand away as soon as it touched him. "Can you stop that? I'm sick of people trying to scare me."

Keith didn't seem to notice his sour mood and he chuckled anyway, climbing over the bench he was on to sit next to him. He nearly knocked James' lunch tray off his lap.

"Hey," he said happily, and James clenched his jaw at the sight, instead staring down at his food so he didn't have to look at that smile. It made his heart hurt more.

"What do you want, Keith?" He said, curtly.

The other stole one of the french fries off his plate, and he chewed thoughtfully. "Are you going to the baseball game after school? Shiro is, but I said I'd only come if you did," he chuckled. "Maybe we can go to your house after. Can I?"

He seemed so excited, so eager at coming over to his house, that James furrowed his eyebrows, feeling a flare of anger and heartbreak rise in his chest. " _No_ ," he bit out, and instantly, the smile on Keith's face faltered.

He shifted in his spot on the bench, like he was uncomfortable, and went for another conversation topic. "Okay... Um, how did your chemistry test go?"

"Does it matter?" James snapped, before he could stop himself. He took a bite out of his sandwich angrily, not bothering to glance up at Keith's shocked face. " _Why_ do you even want to come to my house, Keith?"

Those thick eyebrows disappeared into Keith's bangs, like he was absolutely ignorant to what was annoying him.

"So we can hang out…?" His voice was so soft and unsure, and it only made James' heart break even more. He really was so dumb for falling for that uncertain look, and those big, blue eyes.

James dug his fingers into his thighs, as the anger in him only simmered some more. He stood up to throw the rest of his lunch away, and Keith's eyes followed him.

"Why, if you can just go to Matt's instead?"

"Huh?" Keith stood up from the bench as well, and he walked behind him. "Why would I want to do that?"

God, did Keith really enjoy acting so clueless in front of him?!

James ran both his hands over his face, hating the way tears were already stinging his eyes. He spun around to face him directly, tired of his games. "Keith, I _know_ what you were doing, okay?! I know why you disappeared yesterday at the festival, so stop acting like I'm stupid!"

That certainly made Keith stop in his tracks, and his eyes turned to the size of plates.

James felt his throat tighten, but he held back his tears.

" ...The festival?" Keith opened his mouth once, then twice, then he shut it, his arm coming to rub at his shoulder anxiously. "James, I– I tried to come back, but, I forgot – honest."

James wanted to laugh, because he _still_ didn't get it. "Matt told me, Keith," he grit through his teeth. "I know."

The other boy didn't make a move to talk, and only stood there, stricken with the information like it was the last thing he'd expected to hear.

Like he finally understood.

James felt all of his energy drain at his expression, and he sighed heavily, adjusting the bag strap around his torso.

"Since you're so serious about him, maybe you shouldn't come to my house anymore," he muttered brokenly.

After a second or two, Keith immediately went to hold his wrist, and his expression turned incredulous. "What? James, I _want_ to keep going to your house! Who the fuck said I was serious about him, anyway? That's _not_ true." He tugged on his arm, so James yanked it back.

" _He_ said it, Keith! And I know you gave him the same flower too!"

There it was. The look that he had been expecting to see in those inky blue eyes. James hung his head dejectedly, and he pressed his lips together in a thin line. He wouldn't cry in front of him.

Keith shook his head fervently, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I… Matt is an idiot, James, you can't trust anything he says! I– I _did_ give him a flower, but– that was nothing, I promise!"

James hunched his shoulders, and he lowered his gaze to the ground. "So is it true you were doing the same with other guys?" He said, bluntly.

Keith took his bottom lip between his teeth, and he shifted from foot to foot, feeling the tension rise between them. "I just… I had to consider my other options, you know?"

James let his jaw shut with an audible _click_.

"Oh...I see."

Keith… wanted to get to know others.

But what James heard was _'you're not good enough.'_

 _Because_ he wasn't. He could never be Matt, or any of the boys Keith had been interested in before, and took to dates and the rooftop. And the cold and hard fact caused his stomach to sink.

Keith's eyes widened at his reaction, as if he realized what had come out of his mouth. "Wait. No. I didn't mean it like that, James. Look at me," He said urgently.

Tears pricked at James' eyes again, so he blinked them away. That same, ugly feeling from before knotted itself in his stomach, and it made it hard to breathe.

"It's okay. I get it. I think we both know who you like better anyways," he whispered.

He was about to turn and leave, maybe hoping that he didn't have to see Keith the rest of the day– when he grabbed his hand, stopping him before he could get any feet away.

Keith's expression turned into one of desperation, and he pleaded with his eyes– almost looking as distressed as James felt.

"Wait, don't! I'm– I'm really sorry, James. I _do_ like you better than Matt. I did like him before, but– you're different from everyone else. Please don't leave," he said softly, and he dipped his head in shame.

It tugged at his heartstrings, seeing Keith so vulnerable in a way that he had never seen before. Usually he expressed himself with his walls up, but at the moment, he could tell all of them were down, leaving him exposed for only James to see.

He could practically hear Nadia screaming in his ear to _run away! Don't look back_! but he chose to ignore it.

Keith's hand felt so warm in his, and James couldn't help but notice how fit perfectly against his own. Ever since elementary– they were always each other's perfect match.

He looked up at Keith through his damp eyelashes.

"Do you really mean that?" He asked, although he already knew the answer.

Keith nodded wetly, and he squeezed his palm tighter than before. "I do. I like you so much, James…"

He said it like it was his precious secret, and his already pink cheeks turned a bright red. James' heart skipped a beat, warmth encompassing his very being at hearing the words.

"...I like you too, Keith." He whispered, and those inky blue eyes shot up to look at him.

"You _do?"_ He croaked out.

Taken out of the moment, James arched an eyebrow at Keith. Hadn't he been so obviou–?

Before he could finish the thought, Keith threw himself forward, and a pair of warm lips collided with his own.

James startled, frozen in place by the hands on his button-up, and to his dismay, Keith pulled back after a beat.

The blush on his face deepened.

"Oh, um… I'm sorry," he said sheepishly, and Keith smoothed down where he had grabbed his shirt awkwardly. James almost wanted to laugh.

"No, I just– that was my first kiss," he confessed, and he shyly looked down at Keith's mouth.

 _"Oh,"_ Keith said, but he didn't move away, instead leaning in closer into his space. He eagerly licked at his candy-red lips. "Can I do it again?"

_"Please."_

He threaded his fingers into his hair, and Keith pulled him back into a second kiss, much more eager than he had anticipated. James could barely keep up with it, and he pulled back after his brain was starting to lack oxygen.

"...S-sorry, that was a lot…" he breathed out, embarrassed but more content than ever. His ears flared hot, along with the rest of his face and his neck.

Keith's eyes glimmered amusedly, and he planted a kiss on his cheek. "That was the best kiss ever, James."

James bowed his head, and his knees instantly turned to jelly. Keith giggled at him, soft and raspy, and he let his head rest against his shoulder. He loved the way Keith nuzzled into the side of his neck, tickling the skin there.

"I guess this is a thing now, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," James said, and he happily ran a hand over Keith's back all the way to his shoulder blades.

He couldn't even care about the group of students, watching them from afar with surprised looks on their faces.

xxx

James ran across the long sidewalk, panting as he caught up with his friend a few ways away. Even after a year, Ryan still waited for him every day after school to walk him home. Sometimes he made it hard on him, though. He could see how the other smirked when James finally approached his side, face flushed red and completely out of breath.

"You need to work on your cardio," Said Ryan, and James' eyebrows flew up into his hairline.

"You went ahead on purpose!" He squeaked, and Ryan only shrugged his shoulders innocently.

"Not my fault you have small legs."

"No– _you're_ the one with _long_ legs," James gasped out.

Ryan chuckled as he paused to let him drink from his water bottle.

"Is the birthday boy ready for his surprise?"

"I really hope it's not another cake that explodes this time– because Ryan I swear to _god…_ "

Ryan smiled at the memory, and he kept on walking to James' house. "No, Nadia had a different idea. It's in your room, actually."

They stopped at the white fence gate surrounding James' house, but Ryan didn't come through with him. "You're not coming?"

The taller shook his head. "Nah. I think you might want to open this one alone."

James grinned at his friend, and he stepped up to his porch. "Okay. I'll save you a piece of cake, Ry."

He waved him goodbye, and James shut the door behind him.

Birthday gifts from the gang were always over the top, so he could only imagine what crazy thing he was getting for his seventeenth. James climbed the stairs to his bedroom, and he opened the door with a cautious squeak.

He was not surprised at all to find Keith, already sprawled on his bed and a gaming console in his hands, waiting for him.

He immediately put his backpack down when he saw him, and he launched himself on top of his boyfriend, producing a soft 'oof' from Keith.

He turned around on the mattress to face him, and Keith wasted no time in giving him a soft kiss. When he pulled back, he played with the ends of his fringe.

"How was school, birthday boy?" His breath was minty and a mischievous smile played on his lips.

"Went fine. I'm having a better day now that you're here," he said, and he drove back for another kiss.

Keith happily complied, and he rolled them over so that he was on top. "You know how long I waited for you to get over here? Next time I'm telling Shiro to pick you up."

He dragged his teeth over the length of his neck, and James squirmed underneath him, leaning into the touch. 

"Gotta say, this is the best gift I could have asked for," he said, burying his face into the crook of Keith's shoulder.

He had to stop himself from whining when Keith suddenly pulled back. "Actually, this isn't your gift."

James propped himself up on the bed, and he raised an eyebrow at Keith. "Then what is it?"

He watched as his boyfriend slipped out of the bed, and headed towards his closet. "I had to go get it while you were in school," he explained.

James knitted his eyebrows together. "Keith… did you _leave_ school early again?"

He didn't respond in a very Keith fashion, and only crouched down to get his gift from the bottom of his closet. When he came back out, he was carrying a simple box, holes cut out on the top lid. He sat down next to James on the bed, and he thrummed with excitement.

When he slightly opened the top, a cute little head popped out, licking at James' fingers curiously and he almost melted.

_"Keith…!"_

The other grinned widely, all white teeth, and James pulled the tiny puppy out of the box. A rush of adoration surged through his heart, and he beamed at his boyfriend in disbelief.

"I knew you wanted a dog, so I asked your mom if it was okay…"

"I love him so much!" James exclaimed, and he pet the little thing behind the ears. He threw his arm around his boyfriend while holding the puppy in the other hand. "Thank you so much, Keith." he said.

Keith hugged him back, snuggling into his side, and he pet the puppy too when he let go.

"I'm going to name him Keith," James announced proudly.

He laughed when Keith's look of admiration turned into a scandalized one. _"But… you can't do that!"_

"He's _my_ puppy, Keith."

"But what if you get us confused!?!"

James grinned and leaned forwards to kiss the corner of his mouth with a chuckle. "You're right. Maybe I should change it. I think you might get jealous too," he teased.

Keith's face reddened at the claim, but he didn't refute it. Instead, he brought a hand to James' nape to kiss him properly.

"Happy birthday," He whispered.

"Mine. My Jamie."

James kissed back with an equal intensity, and he smiled against his soft lips.

"My Keith."

**Author's Note:**

> Am I really going to name all my fics over ABBA songs from now on? Uhh yeah, I sure hope I am.
> 
> Anyways thank you for getting through this messy fic! Kudos and comments are always appreciated~


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